Why do you like me, anyway?
by mello-hates-salads
Summary: HanxOC Victoria isn't much of a racer. After three races, she decides to put racing on hiatus and help her friend continue to organize big races in the Valley. After a couple of months, a stranger arrives and changes her life forever.
1. Mustangs, Camaros, and boys! Oh my!

**_Hi!_**

**_I'm warning you now, I might not update frequently._**

**_This is just for fun._**

**_F. Y. I. This is before Han goes down to South America with Dom._**

The '67 Mustang I am rolling in isn't mine. Oh god it isn't mine. I can feel the stupid goosebumps slowly going down my arms. I can't fuck up this car. Oh, I can't screw this up.

I took a deep breath as I slowly drove up the starting line. I gave a quick glance at the red '69 Camero coming up next to me. I gulped. If I win this I can get a Camaro, a motherfucking '69 Chevrolet Camaro. Sure, it's a pump sucker but it's a '69 CAMARO. It is absolutely gorgeous.

There is no way I can crash this car. After all, there's no drifting involved or any sort traffic. We are in Orange Cove, California; also known as the middle of fucking nowhere. The only thing here is the road and orange fields--- lots and lots of orange fields.

"Oi!" yelled the driver of the red Camaro. I looked over at the driver who's name is apparently Han. He smiled and said, "Relax, kid."

Relax?! Re-fucking-lax? How in the hell can this guy say that?! We are racing for a fucking Camaro and he's telling me to relax? He must be insane. I tried to smile but failed miserably so I quickly focused my sight back on the road. He's a cute boy… I mean guy… wait, what? How old is this guy anyway? I mean he's no Kyo but… wait, screw men. Think of the '69 Camaro! Camaro!

Aurora walked up to the finish line between the two cars. She is five-foot-two chick with a pear shaped body. She looked so rad tonight with her bright green pants, black stilettos, and a black and white Aus Rotten shirt. Most of her hair is brown but most of the front was blond; which was of course done on purpose. She gave a brief pause and said, "Don't worry kid, you'll do fine," and kept on walking a couple of feet a head of the finish line. Yeah that's easy for her to say; she isn't racing for a '69 Camaro. Aurora has already got her top of the line 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS.

If I win this car….oh god if I win this car…

Aurora turned to face us. She gave on of her mischievous smiles and looked at Han. His engine roared and he smiled. Han caught me looking at him. He grinned and for some reason saluted me.

I quickly looked away; I seriously need to keep my eyes on the road. My stomach felt like it was beginning to do summersaults. Adrenaline began to quickly coarse through my veins. I could hear people cheering in back and next to the cars. Among all of the cheering and yelling I could hear my friends rooting for me.

"You can do it!" cheered Nessa.

"Bring that baby to your garage where it belongs!" yelled Mel.

"Show the foreigner how an all-American muscle car is truly raced!" yelled Bruce.

I couldn't help but smile. At least my friends are behind me, like the good friends that they are. Aurora would be trying to pump me up also but she's the one that calls the shots around here. She can't have preferred drivers.

I took another deep breath and exhaled slowly. I have to win this. Aurora turned to me with the same smile, put her hands on her waist, and lifted up her chin to ask if I was ready. I let Lex's blue '67 Mustang show off a small taste of its power with a loud roar. I reluctantly nodded.

Aurora grinned and lifted her hands. "Ready!" She pointed at Han; another roar from the Camaro answered her. I feel like I'm about to puke. "Set!" She pointed at me and the 'stang responded with another roar. Jeebus, help me.

"GO!"

_Rewind. This isn't the correct way to start this. Maybe I should start with a small introduction and how I got into this predicament. After all it's the least I could do after confusing the hell out of whoever is reading this with all the unknown people and events going on. _

_My name is Victoria and I'm not exactly the best racer out there. Hell I don't even own a car! Yeah, that's right; I don't own a car. The car I'm driving is my best friend Alexander's; or how we like to call him, Lex. The 'stang is his baby, not mine. _

_I've done about three races and I've won out of sheer dumb luck. On my first race I went against a paisano, who goes by the name of Leonardo. He was not a lucky bastard. The engine of his 2001 Volkswagen Jetta collapsed before he could make it to the finish line. Apparently the idiot had been having problems with his engine but he thought it was in a decent enough condition to race. We can obviously see it was not. I crossed the finish line first so I won by default. _

_The second race was not exactly much of a race; I went against a white boy who went by the name of Tyler. He had a sleek black 2008 Nissan 350Z. Now don't get me wrong, that baby is fast but Lex's Mustang could smoke it faster than you can say Chevrolet. The official rule of muscle beats import still stands but for this rule to work the driver must be good. _

_I'm a decent driver and I was about to win fair and square but one of the 350Z's back tires popped. Everyone said he was lucky that the tires from the front didn't blow up instead; he would have flipped and things would have not been pretty. That red neck Tyler accused me of cheating. He said I caused the tires to pop somehow. According to him they were spankin' new tires and that there was no way they would have popped that fast. _

_Of course Aurora backed me up. She is the one that runs everything and pays people to check the road before every single race to make sure there is nothing in the way that could harm a car in anyway. If there were anything that could have harmed anyone's car, it would have been immediately removed. Tyler refused admit that he had lost to me. He demanded I raced him again but the idiot had no spare tire. I won again, by default._

_The third was the worst race of all. I had to race against some weird kid from school I don't even know what ethnicity he is; well then again I don't think anyone else does either. All I know is that his name is Aaron. He was this creepy kid at school who thought I liked him after I had a conversation with him about current events at school. I'm not trying to be mean, but he tried way too hard to be funny and appealing. He wasn't even in the very least decent looking. I know I might not exactly be America's Next Top Model but come on! _

_Anyway, I reached the finish line first. I was extremely excited because it was the first race I had ever won without it being default when I noticed that the guy's car had never left the starting line. I drove back and asked why he didn't leave the starting line. His lame response was that he liked me too much to beat me in a race. That was the boiling point. I jumped on the motherfucker and tried to beat the living shit out of him (after all I pretty big compared to other girls; broad shoulders and height aren't always a curse). Before I could do some serious damage to him, Lex pulled me off of him and held me back. Lex told him to leave but Aaron had to add his own little two cents to the night and ask me out. I cursed him out and tried to kick him in the balls. Again, I won by default._

_I have never been more humiliated in my life._

_That race was three months ago. After that I decided to take a small break and concentrate on just helping Aurora out with organizing these things. Well, God or whoever the hell is reading this, Aurora is the granddaughter of the leader of the Mexican Mafia. Yeah, what a coincidence; then again, my mom says there is no such things as coincidences in this world. _

_Anyway, she has opened a couple of businesses here in the Valley with some financial help from her Mafia family in Mexico. She is in a promotion company called You Will Go Far Promotions. Aurora and her team try to bring decent bands over to the scene in Visalia. She also runs the illegal racing down here in Fresno, Kings, and Tulare County. Recently, she has opened of a venue in Visalia. She has been making some serious cash off of that venue and the illegal racing._

_I've been her friend since my freshmen year in high school and I've been working for her since my junior year along with Lex, Bruce, Mel, and Nessa. Over the years we have become pretty tight; I guess you can say we are family…_

_I'm going to quit my blabbing and just start from the beginning of today. It was another Friday afternoon at Redwood High School but there is something special about this month: it was almost the end of the year. We are all seniors and like all seniors we were planning out the rest of lives…_


	2. Welcome to Visalia! Population: Us

**Hello!**

**Okay, so maybe this one came out faster than I expected but whatever.**

**I'm sure that is not issue with you guys.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews M3L2011 and Bindie.**

**I'm glad you guys are enjoying this because I know I am.**

**Enjoy**

**:]**

Lex, Bruce, Aurora, Nessa, Mel and I were all leaving this prison called Redwood High School. It was Friday and our first organized races of the month were on for tonight. Like every Friday afternoon, we all had shit to do before we went off to start up the races at Orange Cove. After all, these things always start at like ten or eleven p.m.; we need to wait 'till everyone gets out of work.

"Hey, we have to go to Warped at least one more time before you all leave!"

Lex grinned with his perfect white teeth and put his arm around my shoulders. His pretty chocolate brown eyes sparkled with amusement. "Come on kid, it's not like we're leaving already. Relax."

Aurora smacked Lex's blond head. Lex flinched, "Hey, what the hell?" She ignored him and said, "The blond mutt here has a point Vic; we aren't leaving anytime soon. Maybe Bruce and Mel are but we're stuck here for two more years. We are going to College of the Sequoias here for the next two years."

I mentally groaned. That's right; Nessa, Aurora, and I are stuck in this black hole we call Visalia for two more years; Two more long and tedious years. What a drag.

Bruce laughed, "Sucks to be you!"

Nessa looked up and gave Bruce a dark glare with her pretty little honey colored eyes. She is about five feet tall and has to look up at everyone when she talks to someone. "That's the same thing we are going to say when you get kicked out of Broadway and end up back here."

Bruce shuddered. "No way I'm ending up back here."

"That's what they all say," taunted Aurora. "Then after a year or two this place pulls you back in. Visalia will never let you go Bruce."

Everyone in the group shuddered. No one ever wants to end up back in this white conservative town. People who first come here think it's not a bad place; trust me, it's the worst place ever. It's literally a dead zone. Once you live here for a month it'll never let you back out.

"Well that's not gonna happen to me!" I declared. "My first goal in life is to get out of this stupid town and never come back."

Aurora snorted, "You've already lived here longer than a month; you're pretty much as fucked as the rest of us."

"Stop being such a downer," replied Mel. She pulled her long curly black hair back into a ponytail with a big black scrunchi. "It's almost summer; none of us need the "We will never leave this town' bullshit. It's the weekend; time to have some fun!"

Lex grinned and lifted his hand for a high five. He yelled, "Fuck yeah!" and about half of the school was looking at us. Mel gave him the high five anyway and added her own little details, "Time to party and get stoned out of our minds!"

"Count me in!" said Nessa.

"Same here, " laughed Bruce. "Just exclude the getting stoned out of our minds part."

"Wuss," retorted Aurora.

We continued talking about how awesome our weekend was going to be until we reached the crosswalk which was like an inter point where our group broke up for the time being. Nessa, Bruce, and Mel always crossed the crosswalk while Aurora, Lex, and I continued straight ahead. Today was different though. Aurora parked in a different spot and she continued her journey with the rest of the gang; Lex and I were left alone. We pretty much walked the rest of the way in silence with his arm still around my shoulders. I still don't know how he can put his arms around my broad shoulders. It's kind of weird.

I looked up and Lex. He was a good-looking boy. Believe it or not, he is a blond Asian. Yes, you heard me right; Lex is a blond Asian with chocolate colored eyes. His mom was Spaniard and his dad is Japanese; which is why Lex knows both Japanese and Spanish along with English. My Mom loves him just because she can communicate with him in Spanish. My Dad likes him because he knows a lot about cars. Yeah, he's pretty much a weird kid. Lex and I have been good friends ever since I moved to this place four years ago. He is my neighbor and the first person I talked to in Visalia.

Lex caught me looking at him and said, "What, do I have something on my face?"

I was about to retort something back to him but someone gave a loud whistle. I looked toward the direction where the whistle came and saw a bunch of Asian boys by a red 1969 Camaro which was parked right by Lex's 1967 navy blue Mustang. I knew all of the Asian boys there because they went my school; well, except one of them. The unknown Asian boy was leaning on the red Camaro, which I guess is his, and for some reason he caught my eye. He was tall, unlike most of the Asians around him. He had a pair of straight-legged jeans and a grey button up collared shirt. He pretty much looked like a clean-cut guy.

One of the Asians yelled, "Oi 'Xander! Over here!"

Lex looked at the Asian boys and handed me the keys to his car. "You get in and I'll see what they want ok."

I snorted. "Asian Nation is calling? I thought I had already claimed you as an honorary Mexican for life?"

Lex laughed and led me across the street. "Doesn't change the fact that I grew up with these guys."

I rolled my eyes. When we got close to the Asians I loudly said, "Whatever you say my little White-washed Asian," and ruffled his hair.

"You're such a bitch Vic."

I shrugged. "It's why Vic rhymes with bitch."

Lex laughed, 'Well get in the car then."

I pushed Lex away and said, "I'll get in the car when I want to blondie. You ain't the boss of me holmes."

Lex shook his head and gave a defeated sigh. "Whatever, kid." In the middle of the street we both parted ways; he went towards the Asian boys and I went towards his Mustang. As I walked toward Lex's car I got a closer look at the new Asian boy. His hair was pretty short; his face nice and clean. He had a pair of sunglasses on so I couldn't really tell who he was looking at. He was actually pretty good looking. I continued to stare at him until he noticed, took of his sunglasses, and grinned at me.

I quickly averted my gaze forward and walked faster towards Lex's car. I heard a chuckle as I pulled out the keys to get into the Mustang but I ignored it and jumped into the driver's seat. I couldn't really hear what Lex and the other guys were talking about but I bet it had something to do with tonight's Orange Cove races. The new guy probably wants a piece of the action.

I bit my lip and turned on the Mustang. It roared to life and Rage Against the Machine's "Renegades Of Funk" instantly began blasting out of the 'Stang's sound system. I smiled. Now this is the legit shit. This song always makes me feel like rioting. I turned the radio up and chilled back for a while.

I could already tell it was going to be a long day.


	3. You're not poor, just underprivileged!

_Hi._

_I'm back._

_Thanks for the review __M3L2011. I really appreciate it._

_Thank you guys for reading this._

_Anyway, enough of my blabbing; enjoy. _

"I'm not going."

There was an awkward silence on the line.

I let myself fall on my full sized bed and hugged a pillow. He's gotta be bullshitting me.

I laughed nervously, "Haha, very funny Lex. You almost fooled me right now."

There was another awkward silence.

I threw my pillow, sat up on my bed, and crossed my legs. "Please tell me you were joking Lex…"

Lex sighed, "Vic, I'm sorry but I can't go. I have some really important business to take care of and…"

"Let me go with you!" I interrupted.

"No!"

"Why not? I don't want to go over there alone…"

Lex snorted, "What do you mean alone? Nessa, Mel, and Bruce are going to be there."

"No! I mean I don't want to drive alone… it's creepy out there, yo."

"Oh come one Vic, stop being such a girl."

I bit my lip. "There is absolutely no way I'm driving all the way to Orange Cove on my own! Do you know where Orange Cove is? In the middle of fucking no-where! I have to drive for a whole freaking hour to the middle of no-where, by myself!"

"Ask you brother and your cousin to go with you.."

"Hell no, those kids are fourteen-years-old! You're enough of a bad influence for them."

"Victoria, you have to go..."

I groaned and began to look around for my old black converse. I knew Lex was going to guilt trip me into going so I might as well put on my shoes now and walk out the door.

"How do you think Aurora is going to feel if you don't go? You are literally her right hand person in these organized races..."

I sighed and left my cell phone on the bed and let Lex continue to blab about my responsibilities as a friend. What about his responsibilities as a best friend? How dare he lecture me while he is leaving me to drive all the way to Orange Cove on my own! Jerk.

I quickly put on my dirty converse and went over to my closet to grab my thin bright green sweater. I put it over my pain white t-shirt and looked at myself in the mirror. My brown curly hair was decent. My face looks scar free thanks to my make-up and months of scar clearing lotion (Unfortunately, I had acne through Freshman and Junior year which left my face with tons of red scars; they looked even worst because I have delicate, light skin thanks to my dad's side). My skinny jeans had no oil stains on them…Yep, I'm pretty much set to go.

I picked up my cell phone from the bed and said, "Ok, ok. I'm on my way."

"Do you have your keys?"

I sighed and massaged my temples. "Yes… If you car leaves me stranded in the middle of nowhere and someone rapes me, it's your fault."

Lex laughed. "You'll be fine."

"That's what they all say."

There was silence. I looked over at my clock; it's nine thirty. Fuck.

"I love you kid."

I frowned. "You just love to guilt trip me, don't' you?"

Lex laughed. "No."

I smiled and threw a Frank Sinatra and a mix CD. "I hate you."

"I love you too."

As I walked out the door I wasn't really thinking about anything except how hot it was outside (sadly enough, the heat here lasts twenty-four-seven). Well, summer is coming up. What in the hell do I expect; Seventy degree weather? Pfft. The first thing I'm going to do is turn up the AC, no matter how much gas it wastes; I'll just refill it later. It's not like Lex gives a flying fuck anyway.

I continued to walk through my dead lawn and towards Lex's beautiful green lawn. My dad is a freaking gardener and landscaper yet he can't keep our grass green? What in the hell is up with that? I sighed and took out the keys from my Andy Warhol bag to unlock the Mustang. I accidentally dropped them and cursed, "Fuck…" I bent down to pick them up and continued, "Stupid keys."

I stood up and noticed a red Camaro parked behind Lex's navy blue Mustang. There was a guy leaning on the driver's door with his hands in his pockets. I couldn't really see his face but he looks awfully familiar. He motioned me to come closer. Is he talking to me? I looked around the area; there was no one else outside. I pointed at me.

The guy leaning on the red Camaro laughed, "Yes, you sweetie." He had a nice clear voice and no accent.

Is he flirting? Wait, no… maybe I'm just paranoid. Damn, I'm hopeless. Why can't I ever tell when people are flirting? Damn, this is a curse.

I walked towards the Camaro and said, "Don't call me sweetie, honey bunny." Immediately I noticed it was the new guy that was in front of school with the Asians. I froze in my tracks and didn't get closer to him. I am not very good with new people.

He smiled. "What's your name then, _sweetie_."

I walked away from the Camaro and leaned on the driver's door of Lex's Mustang. "Well honey bunny, my name is Victoria but I'm sure that's not what you called me over here for."

"Well _Victoria_, your good friend Lex was suppose to show me where the Orange Cove races were going to take place tonight…"

I frowned, "Lex is busy tonight."

"Oh really?"

I nodded and said, "Sorry honey bunny but if you want I'll show you where Orange Cove is. I'm on my way there right now."

The new guy shook his head and laughed. "The name is Han, by the way."

I opened the Mustang's drivers door and said, "Well Han, as much as I enjoy our little getting-to-know-each-other session, I have to go so are you coming… or not?"

Honestly I just want to get out here as fast as possible. My brat of a brother is almost home and I don't want to bring the kid along. Last time I took that kid he "borrowed" Lex's Mustang and almost got himself into a race.

Han took his hands out of his pockets and said, "Of course I am."

I got inside the Mustang, put the keys in the ignition, and the baby roared to life. "Well then, my only advice is to keep up and don't get lost. I'll go nice and slow for you Han."

I heard a chuckle and the Camaro awoke with a load roar equivalent to the Mustang's. I rolled down the window, looked back at Han, and said, "Well, as the great Han Solo from Star Wars would say, 'Here's where the fun begins'."

The whole ride over to Orange Cove was pretty smooth. No traffic, like always. No lethal accidents, which occur almost every week; this is the middle of nowhere after all, crazy shit goes down here. After an hour I reached my destination but I unfortunately lost Han in between all of the cars trying to get into the designated area..

Oh well, he's smart; He can find his way home… somehow.

I frowned as I sat on the hood of Lex's Mustang. I looked up from my book and noticed from the little corner I parked all the chaos going on around the empty roads of Orange Cove. Aurora organized this with a little bit of help from me of course.

The Orosi and Orange Cove Police department were easily corrupted. For every organized occasion like this, they got paid a very voluptuous sum of cash to keep them and other police departments from raiding this spot. My cousin is a police officer in Orosi so it wasn't very difficult to get in contact with the police departments in this area. Way to serve and protect.

I looked over at the side of the road where the D.J. I hired was jamming. There were a good amount of people dancing which was great for both the D.J. and me. He didn't charge us as long as we let him in for free when he wasn't working for us. He also got to promote himself, for free. It was a good deal.

It takes money to run this shizz, so we charge an entrance fee (which is usually about fifteen bucks per head) and five percent of every race winnings (well, if it's cash you win). Sure, it might seem like an outrage to some people but then again, where can you race, win some good cash, and rave your ass off without worrying about cops? Exactly.

In return, we have a pretty cheap concession stand over by the D. J. We sell water for a buck, Arizonas for a buck, Monsters and Rockstars two bucks, a good bag of chips for a buck, and all those other munchies that venues love to overprice, for way cheaper.

About one fourth of a mile away from the D.J. and the concession stand, were where the races were located. It isn't difficult to know where the races are located since there is always a bunch of cars parked around the starting line. In the environment we are in right now, racers could either chose between cannonball runs or drag racing.

Drag racing was a lot safer than Cannonball runs because it was kept in a safe perimeter. Cannonball racing involved check points in different roads along Orosi, Orange Cove, and Dinuba. Those races are rarely asked for because of the high risk and twenty-minute wait. Most of the rich kids around here don't have the guts for those types of races. About every three months there are a couple of crazy kids who are willing to go for the Cannonball runs, god bless them, and actually make it without getting caught. Now that is some good racing right there, ladies and gentlemen.

I sighed and shook my head. I seriously need to go back to studying. The horrible book I am holding in my hands is the Princeton's Review Guide to Acing the AP English Literature Exam. I hate studying in general but I seriously need to pass this exam. If I pass it I don't have to pay a bunch of money to take in college. I don't take AP classes because I'm a genius; I take them because later on these exams will save me a lot of money in college. My parents aren't exactly rich and I'm not exactly a genius so I need to take advantage of these AP exams.

I looked down at my book and grabbed my highlighter. I ignored the temptation of joining the chaos around me and continued to take well-organized notes off of my horrible book. I managed to absorb myself so well in my studies that I didn't notice that someone was standing next to me for the past ten minutes.

I rubbed my eyes and said, "Why can't college just be free?"

"In France it is."

I jumped which caused my book and my notes to fall off my lap. I groaned and saw the person I least expected to ever see again. Han smiled and said, "Don't you race?"

Great, just great. I doubt he's going to leave me alone for the rest of the night. I hope Lex didn't tell him to hang out with me tonight. He knows I'm not good alone with new people. He probably did this on purpose. I reluctantly laughed. "I thought I lost you."

"Did I disappoint you?"

I ignored his question. "Why aren't you racing? Isn't that what you came for."

Han leaned on the car and took out a bag of spicy chips; Takis, my favorites. "Well, I mostly came to check out the scene... and I have no idea how to get back." He opened the bag and began to munch.

I got off the hood of the Mustang and began to pick up my notes. Great, now they're dirty. Oh freaking joy. "There is nothing to check out. There's just a bunch of Asians, Mexicans, and Whites trying to have some fun with cars. Big freaking deal. About getting back, well… you can ask anyone for directions."

"You sound mad."

"Well you did scare the living shit out of me and cause me to drop all of my notes on the dirt." I took my dirty notes and decided to call it quits for the day. After all, I still have a month to get ready and I doubt he's going to leave me alone for the rest of the night.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"… Oh don't worry." I took the purple folder on the hood of the car and carefully put my notes inside. "I'm pretty jumpy so it's really easy to scare me." I grabbed my book and my purple folder and shoved it in the back seat of the car.

Han was leaning in the front of the Mustang and I stood next to him. "So seriously, why aren't you racing?"

Most importantly, why is he here? Why isn't he out there trying to get in Auroras pants like every other new guy that comes around here? He probably hasn't spoken to her yet. Aurora is pretty much a big flirt. She flirts with almost everyone, including girls. She says she doesn't do it on purpose but who knows.

He gave me a crooked smile and said, "No one here has what I want."

I turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"Really."

"Well what is it exactly that you want?"

Han popped a rolled up tortilla chip covered in powdered chile and lemon in his mouth. He waved the bag of chips in front of me and said, "Want some?"

I took a couple of tortilla chips out of the bag and thanked him.

"No problem."

There was an awkward silence between us… well if you don't count the loud techno music. I'm not exactly the best person to break any kind of silences. Why did Lex leave me alone tonight? Why tonight of all nights?

"Do you have a car?"

I quickly snapped out of my thoughts and blurted, "No but I'm working on that. I found a sweet deal on a 1972 Nova SS… it just needs a bit of a touch up and it'll be as good as new." Well that was more information than I planned to give but oh well. I have the hugest urge to just walk away right now but that would be rude. Just tough it out and it'll be over soon.

Han popped another tortilla chip in his mouth. "So what's stopping you?"

I looked down and began to push the dirt away with my feet. "Well, I don't really have enough cash. Right now, all the cash I bring I need to use to pay off a couple of things; like yearbook, cap and gown, Grad Night, AP exams, etcetera."

"I'm guessing you're in high school, right?"

I sighed and crossed my arms under of my chest. "Yeah."

Han chuckled, "So you're still a kid."

I snorted. "I wish. I'm eighteen so technically, by law, I am an adult… and I've been telling you way more than I should be."

"I thought this was our getting to know each other time."

I looked up at him. "Why? Are you planning to stick around me for much longer?"

"Well that depends," he said. There was this weird mischievous look in his eyes, which made me lose any bit of trust I had in him.

"Depends on what?"

"The next couple of hours," Han mused as he looked down at the racing track.

"What do you mean?"

Han didn't respond. He only continued to stare down at the racing track with a weird smile on his face as he continued to munch on his spicy tortilla chips. What in the hell is wrong with this guy? I barely met him and he's already acting like a weirdo. Maybe I just attract weird people. Yeah, that's probably it.

"How would you like to win a '69 Camaro."

See, I told you. He' s psycho. Who in their right mind would bet their Camaro in a race? Exactly.

I snorted. "Who's the idiot that'll be their _nineteen sixty nine Camaro_ on a race?"

Han smiled. "That'll be me."


	4. Insert Witty Comment Here

_**Alright… well here's part four.**_

_**I'm extremely sorry I took forever to write this.**_

_**=[**_

_**I feel horrible but it's here.**_

_**Damn school.**_

_**It takes up so much time.**_

_**Plus I'm doing tech for the school play, I'm in the school musical, I'm applying to Universities, and juggling a bunch of homework so ah!**_

_**I'm actually ditching Dante's Inferno and memorizing a monologue for this.**_

_**XD**_

_**Anyway, I would like to thank everyone who read, subscribed for alerts, and is still reading this.**_

_**I would also like to thank M3L2011 for leaving a review. **_

_**She is super amazing to the max, yo!**_

_**Anyway, enough of my blabbing!**_

_**Enjoy.**_

I stood there frozen for a couple of seconds. I didn't know whether to slap him or slap myself for not accepting the offer that very second.

"Are you psychologically insane or something?"

Han grinned. "No, just really bored."

I glared at him for a couple of minutes. I didn't know whether he was messing with me or was actually serious about racing for his Camaro. "So you… bored yourself into insanity?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I'm serious."

"And I'm Princess Lea," I sighed. "Look even if you were serious, I have nothing to bet. This car, " I petted the hood of the Mustang, "Is obviously not mine. I have absolutely no money or any sort of knowledge that would lead to any glorious prize and I don't provide for any sexual services, even if it is a sixty-nine Camaro."

Han laughed, "Well aren't you quite the comedian… but I don't want any of that."

I looked at him incredulously. This guy is… damn, I can't even find any other words to describe how insane this man is. "Then what in the hell do you want, Aurora's bra or something?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No."

I felt like knocking some sense into him. I'm losing my patience and trust me it takes a lot for that to happen. "Then what do you want?"

"Hmm…" Han popped another rolled up tortilla chip into his mouth. "That's a good question."

I clenched my teeth. Is he trying to make me feel like an idiot? He's just testing my patience. Oh god, I feel like punching something to a bloody pulp. I put my hands into my pockets and clenched them into fists. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. I need to relax.

"How about a tour."

My jaw dropped wide open. I was speechless for a couple of seconds. "You're kidding me right?"

Han snorted, "Do I look like I'm kidding?"

I glared at him and he gave a goofy smile. I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. He has worn out of my patience. I stood up straight and crossed my arms under my chest. I'm done being 'social' with Lex's little Asian friends. People like him are the reason why I am anti-social. "I quit!"

Quickly, I began to walk away from him until he yelled, "Hey are you going to leave the Mustang here!" I dropped my arms, clenched my teeth, and growled. I stomped back and said, "Look, I'm done talking to you so get away from the Mustang because I'm leaving."

Han smiled and said, "Oh come on, I'm just trying to be nice here."

I snorted, "Nice! Oh really?"

"Really."

"Well if messing with my head is your idea of being nice, you've got some serious issues."

I took my keys out and began to get in the car when Han went toward the passenger's side and sat down. "Oh come on kid, don't get butt hurt. I'm just here to have some fun."

"Get. Out." I snarled.

Han gave an apologetic smile and said, "Come on, do you really want to be known as the girl that wouldn't race for a sixty-nine Camaro?"

"I swear, I will yell rape," I threatened.

Han snorted, "Do you honestly think people will hear you?"

I could hear another race starting near by and the DJ playing Unter Null extremely loud. It's a miracle I could even hear Han over all of this commotion. Damn my bad luck.

"Come on, don't be so up-tight," continued Han. "You have nothing to lose. I'm only asking for a tour if I win; just a measly couple of hours out of your life."

I averted my glare away from Han and stared at the steering wheel of Lex's baby, his Mustang. I grasped the wheel and took a deep breath. "For your Camaro?"

"For my Camaro," he confirmed.

I still couldn't believe him. There has to be a reason… a good reason. No one just bets their car for nothing. He has to gain something from this… but what? I turned to him and said, "But… why?"

Han looked out of the window and shrugged. "For the hell of it."

I rolled my eyes. "That's not much of an excuse."

"Do I need an excuse to bet **my **car?"

I couldn't help but scoff, "You do if it's a **sixty-nine Camaro**."

"That doesn't change much but since you need one… Let's just go with your theory of insanity." He looked inside his bag of chips and frowned. "So what do you say?"

I reverted my eyes to the steering wheel and bit my lip. My knuckles had turned zombie white because of how tight I was holding on to the wheel. This isn't my car… I can't just race in this thing! It isn't mine… What if I total it? What will I tell Lex? Oh hi Lex! On my way home I sort of crashed into an orange tree. Sorry? No I can't do this…

But it's a sixty-nine Camaro! I can't just say no to an easy sixty-nine Camaro! I wouldn't be able to live with myself… I bet even Lex would lose a bit of respect for me if I didn't take the challenge… Just imagine if I do win! It would be a free Camaro… A Free nineteen sixty-nine CAMARO…

"Unless you think you're gonna lose.."

That's it! Fuck my conscience, he's going down.

"Cannonball or drag race?" I quickly asked.

"Drag."

"Deal," I blurted out without paying attention to my conscience. Somehow I knew I was going to live to regret this.

******************************************

"What do you think he's packin' under the hood of that Camaro?" asked Bruce. I could tell he wasn't exactly fond of the idea of me racing a stranger. I don't blame him, I'm still not sure if I'm doing the right thing.

I sighed and looked over at Aurora and Han. They were both making last second arrangements for the race. I took a gulp out of the ice cold Sangria and said, "I don't know… but I'm pretty sure Lex's car can beat it.."

Bruce frowned. "How do you know? Are you sure racing him is a good idea?"

"Well…" Before I could finish my sentence Mel pushed Bruce off the hood of her Civic and smiled, "Of course it's a good idea! It's a free car!"

She then glared at Bruce and yelled, "And Bruce I swear to god, if you sit on my car one more time I'll slit your throat."

Bruce rubbed his back and grimaced. "All right, all right! I get the picture."

"Well you obviously don't. You keep leaving butt prints on my car, Bruce!"

People might not be able to tell, but Bruce and Mel are best friends. They are pretty much inseparable. If you see Mel somewhere then Bruce is bound to be there as well. Mel and Bruce are sort of like a married couple… they bicker a lot but they can't help but love each other.

Mel continued to curse at Bruce. Quiet little Nessa came up, looked at Mel and Bruce, and rolled her eyes. "Are they at it again?"

I frowned, "Yeap."

She shook her head and sighed. "I swear, someday they'll end up killing each other…"

There was an awkward silence, if you don't count Mel and Bruce arguing in the background. I could tell she didn't exactly agree with the idea of a race between Han and me either.

Nessa crossed her arms in front of her chest and said, "So… what does he want if you lose?"

I looked up from the chair I was sitting in and said, "He wants a tour…"

Nessa snorted, "A tour of what, your bed?"

I laughed, "No, I'm not a whore!"

"Well… not to be rain on your parade but,,, it seems kind of unlikely that someone would bet their car in exchange for a tour."

I shrugged. "Maybe he's just being a show off."

Nessa giggled, "Or maybe he just wants to get in your pants."

"I highly doubt that," I retorted. "He's probably just trying to make his debut a good one and chose me because he's heard my rep. I'm an 'easy win'."

"Maybe, but there is still a possibility that he's trying to get in your pants."

"Hah, there's more of a possibility that he wants to get into Lex's pants." I gulped down the rest of my sangria and began to twiddle my thumbs.

"But," continued Nessa. "Still a possibility… do you think he's hot?"

"He's decent," I shrugged.

"Only decent?" pursued Nessa with a devilish smile.

"Are you trying to play match-maker with me?"

Nessa gave her evil laugh. "Hahaha…What gave you that idea?"

I shook my head. "Nessa, you are an evil person who just loves to mess around with my love life."

Nessa laughed again. "I do so because I love you!"

"No, you do so because you find it amusing."

"And that too!" she smiled. "Oh, look! Here comes future lover boy now."

For some strange reason I began to panic. I need an excuse to get out of the area and fast before I do something stupid… Wait I've already done something stupid! Hold on, why am I panicking?

"I want food!" I suddenly exclaimed. Unfortunately before I could leave, Han grabbed my arm and said, "Ready to race?"

"Ready to lose?" I blurted out.

Mel and Brace stopped arguing and gathered around Han and me.

Han gave a cocky smile and let go of my arm. "Only if you know where you're going to give me my tour."

Nessa and Mel giggled. Bruce rolled his eyes. They have filthy minds but then again, what do I expect from them. A small crowd slowly began to gather around us.

Great, just what I needed! More people around to witness my stupid comebacks. I need to sound confident. Think Medea. MEDEA!

"Yeah, in my new Camaro," I shot back.

Before Han could retort with another witty comeback, Aurora interrupted us, "Ready to race children?"

"Ready!" I exclaimed.

Aurora smiled at me and nodded. "What about you Han?"

He shrugged and said, "More ready than I'll ever be."

Aurora clapped her hands once and said, "Well then children, to the start line!"

There was a small cheer from the crowd as they walked towards the start line. Only then did it dawn on my that if I lose this race, I would easy access to a free nineteen sixty-nine Camaro… not only that but I would have to spend a whole day alone with Han. Oh god, no… how awkward.

Aurora put her hand on my shoulder and said, "Victoria be careful with this guy. I have a feeling he won't be an easy one to beat."

I snapped out of my thoughts and said, "I don't expect him to be easy… but I've got nothing to lose, right?"

She smiled and said," Right… but still… be careful. There's something weird about a guy betting their car in a race for something as stupid as a tour."

I smiled and nodded. "That's what everyone's been telling me. Nessa thinks he's trying to get in my pants. Ha!"

"Wouldn't surprise me," said Aurora. "Anyway, good luck. Win or else we'll rip on you for the rest of your life!"

"Way to be supportive Aurora," I said with a touch of sarcasm.

Everyone is making me feel like I'll live to regret ever racing Han. He can't be that bad, right? Right?

Right.


	5. Three Little Birds

_**Hello, it's me again.**_

_**I'm sorry this one took a while.**_

_**Haha, thank Jeebus for Thanksgiving break or else I would have never gotten a chance to finish it.**_

_**I'm done with University applications but I'm now working on Hamlet for AP English Lit.**_

_**=]**_

_**Anyway, Thank you M3L2011, PepsiCrush, and Sidthe for the review.**_

_**You guys have no idea how much your reviews helped.**_

_**They gave me that small push I needed to finish up this part. **_

_**I'm glad you guys enjoy it and I really appreciate it.**_

_**Anyway, enough of my blabbing.**_

_**Enjoy.**_

_And that was how I sealed my own doom. Damn my female pride. Anyway, now that we've gotten introductions out of the way, how about we go back to the present time?_

"Ready!" She pointed at Han; another roar from the Camaro answered her. I feel like I'm about to puke. "Set!" She pointed at me and the 'stang responded with another roar. Jeebus, help me.

"GO!"

My whole body suddenly started rebelling against my conscience. It was screaming "WARNING! WARNING!" while an alarm was wailing in the background but my body decided to shut down any sort of communication with it. My right foot slammed on the gas pedal and my eyes were keeping track of the dark road and the rpm needle while my right had was handling the gears.

My heart began to beat even faster.

What am I doing, what am doing?

I looked to my left and, to my horror, saw that Han was quickly easing the Camaro in between both lanes so he could control the street. I know exactly what I'm doing: I'm letting this guy win! I'm such an idiot. It's not going to be easy to pass him now. Shit, I need to get my head in the race. No more regrets, I'm here already. I might as well make the best of it.

"GRRRR!" I clutched the steering wheel harder and slammed on the gas pedal even harder while switching gears. I could tell Han wasn't taking the Mustangs increasing speed as a challenge though. He was going exactly the same speed he used to surpass me. I bet he isn't taking me seriously! That little prick is going to regret he ever mentioned this race.

I continued to increase the Mustangs speed until I was literally an inch behind him. Jeebus, I need to get ahead of this guy. What am I going to do? Shit, I don't even know how long this race is! How long has it been since we left the start line? Are we still in the designated area? This is what I get for not paying attention in the beginning of a---

The sound of sirens interrupted my train of thought. That better be an ambulance because I'm not exactly fond of high-speed chases. I could feel my body slowly begin to break out into cold sweat. I bit my lip. There is no way it can be a cop, they are usually miles away from the races… there is just now way! I just need to look on my rear view mirror and confirm that there is no police officer behind me… even though the sirens are extremely loud…

My cell phone began to vibrate in my lap. I jumped a little bit and my head hit the roof. I winced and cursed under my breath. This is just not my day. Quickly I took my hand away from the shift stick and answered the cell phone without checking my caller id.

"Hello?"

"So, got any bright ideas for losing the so called law enforcer?" I heard Han's annoying voice say

I quickly looked at my rear view mirror and saw the Crown Victoria cop car behind us. If the Crown Victoria can keep up with us then we must be going pretty slow. I hate him so much right now.

"How did you get my cell phone number?"

"PULL OVER!" the cop's voice on the speakers demanded.

"Kid, I think that's the least of our problems right now."

I growled, "Look, increase your fucking speed. This race is over and we need to get away from him, pronto."

Han chuckled, "Yes ma'm!"

I put my phone on speaker, placed it on my lap, and moved my hand back to the shift stick. We were quickly losing the Crown Victoria but we still weren't safe. Jeebus, we need to get out of here before he sets the Chargers after us.

"Han, I have a plan but you have to swear that you'll do everything that I say."

"Depends. What the plan?"

"Han, this is serious!"

"Alright, alright already," I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was smirking. Jerk. "What's the plan."

"First off, let me lead."

He laughed. "What? No way, the cop will catch us for sure."

"Han!" I screamed. "This is serious!"

Han sighed, "You're no fun, kid." He smoothly steered his Camaro to the left.

I quickly steered towards the right lane and the Mustang smoothed in right in the middle of both lanes. The Mustang increased its speed with humongous roar. I always get goosebumps at the sound of two muscle car engines going at the same time. I could see a two-way intersection quickly approaching. I smiled. Maybe god doesn't hate me as much as I thought.

"Han, see the intersection up ahead?"

"Yeap."

"We'll split up and let's see who he follows. You go left and I'll go right."

"Why do you get to go right?"

"Han, I'm really starting to hate you right about now."

"Ok, ok… Jeez, someone's a bit touchy today."

I growled, "I'm not touchy! You're just a douche!"

"Hey the intersection is coming up, move to the right lane."

"Han, give me one good reason to listen to any of your crazy ideas. Like this race, for example, what was I thinking?"

"Look kid, for once just have some faith in me. Move and let me ease into the left lane before we get to the intersection."

Hah, faith in him? Puh-lease.

I sighed. "Fine, fine!"

Wow…. I am a disgrace to all female racers everywhere. I truly am.

I eased the car into the right lane and kept up the speed. I can't believe I'm listening to him. He's the one that got us into this mess in the first place. I'm such an idiot! I knew something like this was going to happen but noooo. Victoria wants the Camaro. Oh yes, easy Camaro. Stupid Victoria. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Now increase your speed. We need to get to that intersection much sooner than the cop does."

Through the rearview mirror, I saw the red Camaro quickly zoom in next to me. It increased its speed immensely and I did the same. Jeebus, he's such a show off. "When we're about a quarter of a mile away from the intersection, slow down and make the turn. Well, if you can't drift that is."

I clenched my teeth. "Are you questioning my driving skills?"

Han chucked, "Don't take this personal but no, I'm questioning your drifting skills."

I know I can't drift for shit but I hate him. Lex taught me how to drift a while ago… well more like demonstrated. I tried and I almost crashed on a bunch of orange trees. The sad part is the orange trees weren't anywhere near the intersection I tried to drift. Oh well, maybe right now is a good time to practice… damn what in the hell am I thinking? No! No drifting!

"Watch me." Yeah, watch me wreck this car and get arrested. Oh Jeebus, me and my big fucking mouth… but he just gets me so pissed off. I hate being underestimated, especially by this jerk who thinks he knows me because of a five minute chat we had.

"Pull Over!" the cop demanded again on the Crown Victoria's speakers. The voice sounded much farther away though, which must be good… Right?

I saw the intersection point again and grasped the wheel tighter as if that would somehow reduce my stress levels.

"Alright kid, we're almost there. Don't panic if the cop follows you and…"

"I know what I'm doing! I don't need you to pep me through this, Han. Remember, this is my plan."

"Ok, Victoria. Just don't hang up if he does follow you."

I bit my lip a bit too hard and blood quickly followed. Shit. "No problem."

The next couple of seconds happened in slow motion. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest louder than the time my ex-boyfriend cornered me in Borders and gave me that horrible kiss. Before I knew it, I had to actually turn at the intersection. Suddenly my vision turned from slow motion to fast forward because before I knew it my life flashed before my eyes. Everything happened so quick and sudden that I didn't even notice when I drifted right. It just happened. My body, again, acted upon itself and continued to drive the car without me. There is seriously something psychologically wrong with me.

I looked at my rear view mirror and saw no police officer. Good, he followed Han. I'm not trying to be a bitch of anything but it's better if he follows Han because this makes it easier for my plan to work. Now I need to work on getting to my cousins ranch quicker than Han.

"Han, can you hear me?"

Well that was a stupid question.

"Loud and clear, kid."

I'm on fifth gear and the road to my cousin's ranch is just straight ahead. I should make it in no time… well much sooner than Han at least. "Look, when you hit the first four way intersection hit left again, on the second hit left again, go straight on the third, and on the fourth hit left again. The first dirt road you see to your right, enter it and, no matter what happens, keep on going straight until my cousin calls you and gives you further directions. It's a couple of miles but I'm sure you can make it. I have to call someone up for this plan to work so I'm gonna have to call you back in a sec."

"Left, left, straight, left, right, and turn right on the nearest dirt road?"

"Yes. May the force be with you Han Solo."

He chuckled, "Same for you Princess Lea."

I smiled, hung up, and quickly dialed my cousin Efren's number. That jackass has to be home… Please let him be home… I don't want to waste time calling my other cousin Beto; he always asks for explanations.

"Bueno?"

"Efren, soy Victoria! Codigo Rojo, plan N-A-Z-I. Lo mas rapido possible, por favor."

"Madame el numero de la persona en un texto y en cuanto llega?"

"Como en cinco minutos, pero apurale!"

I made it to my cousin's territory (which is also full of mother fucking orange trees) and lowered my speed while trying to look for the dirt road which leads deeper into the maze of orange trees while texting Efren Han's cell phone number. I found the nearest clearing my cousin Beto most likely set up earlier today just in case something happened and parked the car as quickly as possible.

I opened the door and tried to run out of the car but my seat belt dragged me back on to the car seat. I cursed and unbuckled my seat belt as quickly as I could with my shaky hands. I jumped out of the car and called Han. Efren should have called him already and given him directions so his phone line should be clear by now.

He didn't answer.

"Shit, shit, shit!"

I began to pace back and forth. What do I do? God, what in the fuck to I do? I called him again but it led me to his voicemail. I began to bite my already short nails out of anxiety. What if Han got caught? What if the Chargers got him? I groaned, "No, there is no way he got caught… There is no way the Chargers could have gotten here that fast… Orosi has no Chargers so they should call them in from Dinuba… There is no way they could have cleared so many miles in five minutes!"

I stopped biting my nails since there wasn't anything left to bite and moved on to cracking my fingers. What I need to do is stop worrying and cool down the lights just incase the cop makes it this far. I need to at least make sure I don't get caught. I pulled back my hair and ran to the farthest right orange tree across the dirt road. I grabbed the three cold water bottles and ran back to the Mustang. I took off my sweater, poured the water on in, and began to wipe the lights with it. It hissed in protest but I continued to wipe each head and rear lights. When my whole sweater got hot, I poured the second water bottle and continued the process.

When the light's on the 'Stang were only slightly warm, I stopped and downed the third water bottle in a minute. I gasped for breath and leaned against the hood of Lex's car. I'm pretty sure that'll be good enough if the cop does even make it all the way here and finds me. I'll just lie and say I'm waiting for the "boyfriend I'm not allowed to have" to find me, or something… or I can just say I was studying! After all, I still have all of my shit in the backseat… Oh god, he'll know it's a bunch of bullshit… but it's ok… he has no proof…

I wiped the cold sweat on my forehead with the bottom half of my shirt. My eyes were beginning to sting with hot tears begging to be released. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Crying is for little brats. I'm an adult now so it's time to grow up and stop being such a sissy. No I'm not… I'm still a kid. I'm still a goddamned kid who needs to grow up and face life the way it is.

I hope everyone else is okay… There is no way the cops could have raided our area! Aurora paid them on Thursday so they have no reason to raid the place… Maybe this guy is a new cop who hasn't been shown the ropes… Yeah that's probably it. Most likely he was hanging around, saw Han and me, and decided to chase us down. We would have been a great catch for the rookie.

I took another deep breath and slowly my eyes stopped burning. The tears were going away but my heart continued to hammer in my chest. If I don't calm down, I'll have a fucking heart attack. Relax… relax! Think Bob Marley…. Three Little Birds!

I began to panic again so I muttered the chorus, "Don't worry about a thing. Don't worry about a thing, 'Cause every little thing gonna be all right. Singin': Don't worry about a thing, 'Cause every little thing gonna be all right…"

I closed my eyes and took another deep breath. "Everything is going to be all right. Everything is going to be all right…."


	6. Curse of the Orange Trees

**I'm a horrible person.**

**Yes, I haven't forgotten about this.**

**I'm sorry for the extremely long delay with a really short update. **

**Senioritis sucks.**

**Thank you so much for everyone who reviewed.**

**I will put the names up next time.**

**I have Lit & Expression homework to do.**

**_**

**Peace.**

Ok, ok… so maybe this race wasn't a good idea… or maybe I'm too paranoid to do anything fun. Am I fun sucker? Nah! I'd rather just not end up in jail. Maybe I'm just pathetic... I'm even scared to sneak out of my own freaking house! I know I won't get caught, but still.

I need to kill my conscious.

I sighed and began to dwindle my thumbs along with Save Ferris. It's been about half an hour and I've managed to calm myself down a bit. I figured there was nothing wrong and I was just over reacting, like usual. I don't know, there just seemed to be something fishy in Han's attitude toward the cop… Well not only his, but my cousin's as well. They didn't really seem worried. Am I missing something here?

I stopped messing around with my thumbs and began to rummage around the back seat for _The Awakening_ by Kate Chopin. I might as well keep myself occupied, even if it is a book that I read the summer before Senior Year for AP English Lit. Why does Lex have this in his car anyway? He's such a pack rat.

Before I could even open the book someone lightly knocked on my window. I looked up and saw Han's face with his same old goofy grin. I don't know why but his grin pisses me off. I gave him a dark look and reluctantly unlocked the door.

Han laughed as he got into the passenger's seat.

"Are you ok? What's so funny!"

I could tell he was trying really hard to stop laughing. He looked at me and continued to laugh.

"Han, you're really starting to piss me off…"

Han held up his hand and said, "Ok, ok. I'm sorry… Did you actually think the cop in the Crown Victoria was threat?"

I shrugged and said, "Well… yeah."

Han laughed again and adjusted the seat so he could lie down. "Look, Victoria, if he were serious he wouldn't have even bothered to chase us. He would've just sent a helicopter after us and we would have been screwed."

All of a sudden, I felt pretty stupid. "Well then why did the cop chase us?"

He shrugged and put his hands behind his head. "Probably to see if we were stupid enough to actually stop. We would make a nice catch."

"So the cop didn't…"

"Follow me?" Han snorted, "Of course not. There was no point."

I sighed and switched the song to "A Better Place, A Better Time" by Streetlight Manifesto; Ska makes me happy but unfortunately for Han, it's not working right now. "Well thank you for making me feel like an idiot. Excuse me while I go to my dark corner and sulk."

He chuckled, "It wasn't that bad…"

I grasped the wheel and took a deep breath. "Be honest or else I'll never talk to you again."

"So that means you still want to talk to me?"

I scoffed, "I didn't say that."

"You pretty much did."

My eyes shifted from the steering wheel to Han's teasing gaze. "You're just imagining things."

Han shook his head and smiled, "If you say so." He took out a random toothpick from his shirt's front pocket and put it in his mouth.

There was an awkward silence and I didn't know how to break it. I rested my head against the window but didn't let go of the wheel. My hands were turning zombie white again. Suddenly my whole body felt like I just ran a marathon and my eyelids felt like they weighed a ton. The week's lack of sleep had finally caught up on me.

I groaned. "I owe you a tour."

"Huh?"

"You were going to win whether I'd like to admit it or not," I let go of the steering wheel but kept my eyes closed and my head on the window. "I owe you a tour."

"Hmm… do you mind if I change the song?"

He ignored my statement. Does that mean I don't owe him anything? "No, go ahead." I sighed and closed my eyes.

I heard the skip button click three times and then Urge Overkills cover of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon". _"Girl_," the mustang's speaker sang, "_you'll be a woman... soon_."

I felt a smile slowly appear on my dry lips. I love this song. My hands automatically moved the volume knob and turned up the stereo.

"_I love you so much, can't count all the ways  
I've died for you girl and all they can say is  
"He's not your kind"…_"

My hands slowly released the steering wheel and my shoulders slowly began to loosen the tension that had been accumulating for the past month.

"_They never get tired of putting me down  
And I'll never know when I come around  
What I'm gonna find…_"

My head rolled back on the leather seat.

"_Don't let them make up your mind.  
Don't you know.._."

"_Girl, you'll be a woman soon_. _Please, come take my hand…._"

I opened my eyes and turned toward Han. He had pretty much made himself comfortable on the passengers seat. "Did my cousin say how long we were suppose to stay out here?"

He blinked and looked at me for a couple of seconds before responding. "Yeah, he said we should probably crash in his place until tomorrow…"

Shit.

"Did he say why?"

Han snorted and threw his toothpick out of his open window. "Isn't it obvious. He's scared something might happen."

I shot Han the dirtiest look I could. Somehow, I had a feeling this was his doing. My cousin doesn't care about me this much, no fucking way. "Like _what_?"

Han threw up his hands defensively. "Easy kid, I'm just the messenger. Go talk to your cousin."

I growled and turned on the car. "There is no way I am staying in this shit hole of a town. No fucking way."

The car came back from the grave as hit it on reverse.

Me and my bad luck.

* * *

"Mira Victoria, I don't give a flying fuck if you want to stay here or not, but you and your little chinito have to stay here until the coast is clear."

Did he just call Han my "chinito"?

"Beto, what goddamn coast? There is no fucking coast to be cleared off! Everything is fine and I need to leave before the parents get home tomorrow morning…"

"Look, I've already taken care of that. You're baby sitting my kids tonight and Javier is quad riding here with Andres."

I rubbed my temples and cursed under my breath. He's got me. Damn it, I don't want to be here. I want to go home, sleep in my nice warm bed, and call Lex. I want to wake up tomorrow and pretend this never happened. I want to give Han his so called tour and forget about everything. Fuck my life.

"Is my brother really here?"

My cousin nodded. "Andres went and picked him up a couple of hours ago."

"Why didn't he call me?"

"No contestates el cellular pendeja."

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and growled.

"Victoria, esto es tu culpa so ni me vengas con tu—"

"Sabes que, no me importa." I stood up and walked towards the door. "Yo me voy a ir a mi casa y puedes hacer nada para pararme."

* * *

"Are you comfy down there?"

"Han, talk to me again and I swear to all that you hold dear that I will kick your ass so shut the hell up."

He chuckled and turned off the lamp on the small table next to his couch. "Night."

"Douche."

"You're swell too kid."


	7. Those Darn Red Plastic Dixie Cups

**I'm sorry for the wait.**

**School is finally over and summer is here!**

**Yay.**

**Thank Jeebus for these amazing summer nights.**

**You know what I just noticed?**

**It's been a year since I've started this.**

**Damn, I'm slow.  
**

**Anyway, I'd really like to thank M3LL2011,8yume, Sidthe, It's Already Too Late , and the super amazing kariete for leaving a review and talking to me.**

**Thank you for being patient.**

"Stop laughing, Lex."

"How can I? This is just too much. I turn my back on you for one second and you've lost your immortal soul to the devil."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "You're overreacting."

I could still hear Lex laughing through my cell phones earpiece. "Am I really? Just think about it. You need to give Han a tour… Han of all people…"

I shifted my body from to the left side of my bed and moved my cell phone to my right ear. "What's so bad about some stupid tour… and what do you mean _Han of all people_? I hardly even know this guy and—"

"And you accepted his absurd proposal. Very nice."

I grabbed the pillow next to me and hugged it. "Shut up… it sounded fishy in the beginning but after a while…"

"Don't tell me, he won you over?"

Right now I bet Lex is grinning, his stupid little teasing grin.

Damn him.

"Well he persuaded me…"

He laughed, "Yeah, Han is really good at that."

"It was a fucking Camaro Lex! What would you've done?

"No comment. I don't want to be even more of a bad influence on you Vic."

Jerk.

"You know what, you should have warned me before you send one of your weird little friends to befriend me…"

"But I didn't!"

"Suuure…"

"I swear! I didn't even know he was going to Orange Cove that night." I could tell he was trying really hard to convince me that he's innocent of all the crimes presented. It's almost like we're in court and I'm the judge. Well this judge is convinced that he is guilty. Guilty!

"Oh yeah so he just made up this whole story while he was waiting in front of your house so I could talk to him, right?"

Lex sighed. "Look, I don't know kid. He did tell me he wanted to race and I told him I could show him some time. I never said anything about that particular day… Even though he was so bold as to challenge me for my Mustang…"

Suddenly everything was starting to make sense.

"Well he was obviously talking about that race… and he was serious about your Mustang too… which is probably why he wanted to race me too."

"Hm. He most likely wanted to check out how it ran against his Camaro…"

"Look I don't know… maybe he really is just as crazy as you say he is…"

"Probably…I really thought he was going to wait till next time… well then again…"

"Then again what?"

There was a pause.

"Nothing… look are we _really_ going to spend all night here wasting minutes while there is a party going on at Mel's house?"

I sighed. "Alright, alright. I'll be ready in fifteen minutes."

"Perfect. See you then."

"Peace."

* * *

There is always something interesting at every one of Mel and her older brother's parties. Sometimes there is a random guy in a banana suit and sometimes there is a stripper pole over by the dinner table.

This night the whole living room had been turned into a dance floor. The furniture was taken out and the chandelier in the middle of the living room was replaced by a huge disco ball. Since their living room and kitchen are separate, the island was turned into a bar. Mel and her brother had gone all out tonight.

"What's the occasion?" I yelled over the loud Daft Punk music in the background.

Lex shrugged and led me through the crowd toward the screen door that led to the backyard. I have walked into that door so many times and I was determined not to walk into it ever again, especially in front of all these people.

Lex opened the door and continued to lead me toward the backyard. It seemed like back here all the seniors from my school were hanging out and all of the twenty-year-old college sophomores were hanging out inside. There was a small circle of kids crowding around a small table obviously smoking pot and another group of kids just talking and drinking out of those red plastic Dixie cups, which most likely contain alcohol. There were also those random kids swimming in the pool.

What a bunch of losers.

"Hey, over here!"

I looked over and saw Mel, Katie, Kellie, and Bruce hanging out toward the right side of the pool with the same Dixie cups as the other kids.

We walked towards them and Lex yelled, "Katie! Younger sibling of Katie! Long time no see dear children. Shouldn't you be praisin' Jayzus right now?"

Katie stuck out her tongue and said, "Even Mother Theresa needs a break once in a while Alejandro. Plus, Kellie not longer has a bedtime. She is now sixteen"

"Hey, hey, hey. The name is Alexander. Alexander, say it with me now."

"Alejandro," Katie sang in a mocking voice. "Ale-alejandro, Ale-alejandro."

We all laughed.

"Katie, I will not hit a woman but I will slap a hoe," joked Lex with his classic grin. "Stop it."

"I know that we are young and I know that you may love me," Katie put the back of her hand up towards her forehead dramatically and continued to tease Lex with her Lady Gaga accent, "but I can't be with you like this anymore… Alejandro."

We all laughed again.

She is sooo wasted.

"Victoria!" exclaimed Kellie as she pushed her way around everyone to hug me. Looks like the party has been going on for a while, she's even more wasted that her sister. I could tell she wasn't really paying attention to anything right now. I hope they're spending the night here. I don't want them to get pulled over or something.

I laughed and said while we gave each other a dramatic hug, "At least Kellie acknowledges my presence here, unlike Katie."

"Sorry Vic, I was too busy with Alejandro over here," she laughed and joined in our hug.

"So, where's Aurora and Nessa?" asked Lex.

Mel rolled her eyes and took a drink from her cup. "I'd rather not talk about it."

Lex shrugged, "Ok… what are you guys drinking?"

"Jungle juice!" exclaimed Bruce. "It's freaking amazing!"

Mel grinned, "It's what got these three fucked up. You should go try some… wait are you guys spending the night here? I don't want you drinking and driving."

"Yeah, we're good kids," said Lex. "No drinking and driving. I can't fuck up my car."

Mel laughed, "Is that the only thing you're worried about?"

Lex paused, "Yeah pretty much… Vic, do you want me to bring you some of Mel's secret special jungle juice?"

Katie, Kellie, and I were still in our over-exaggerated hug but I managed to say, "Yeah and bring it full! I don't want to go back there."

"Alright, I'll be right back."

Lex walked away and Katie and Kellie let go of me.

Before they asked me about last weeks race, I began my own conversation. "Awesome party! Who put up the disco ball?"

Mel laughed, "I dunno. I just came home today with a bunch of food and noticed that someone put up a disco ball."

"Nice!"

"Enough filler!" yelled Katie in all her drunken glory. "I want to know what happened last week! I heard this new kid bet his Camaro against you in a race and that stuff happened and blah blah blah! I want to hear this story from your precious little chapstick covered lips!"

I rolled my eyes. What's taking Lex so long with that drink? I think I'm going to need it.

"Yeah, I've been wondering what happened too," encouraged Mel with a grin. "Either you guys fucked each other's brains out or the cops were involved…

"Hell maybe even both," chimed in Bruce.

They laughed and surrounded me in a tight circle.

"You guys are just a bunch of dirty-minded teenagers who have had waaay too much to drink…"

Mel snorted, "I've still got my senses Victoria and…" Something or someone had caught her attention because she suddenly had this devilish gleam in her eyes… I have to brace myself for the worst. "Oh shit, oh shit!"

Katie looked around like a puppy waiting for a doggy treat. "What? What?"

Mel grinned, "Camaro boy is on his way over here."

My heart sank and my stomach began to get the same feeling I had when the race was about to begin.

"You're joking, right?" I squeaked.

"Oh shit, that is him!" Bruce laughed and took another drink from his plastic cup.

I quickly scanned the area but saw no sign of Han. Where in the hell are these kids seeing him? Maybe the alcohol has gotten to their head. There is no way Han is here… Mel didn't invite him… or did she? Maybe someone else told him about tonight… no. The only people here are people that Mel or her brother know…

"Mel, did you invite Han?"

"Who? Camaro boy," she teased.

"Yes, him!"

As Mel took a drink she shrugged. "If I did I don't remember."

Damn it all to hell.

"Well where is he?" complained Kellie.

Katie clapped and laughed, "Yeah! I want to see him!"

Bruce pointed to Mel's house and said, "He's over by the screen door. Can't you see him?"

I looked over and there Han was "observing the scene" here too. Eventually he spotted my group but he didn't walk toward us. Instead Han put his hands in his pockets and observed.

They all turned and looked also. Could these idiots make it even more obvious that we're talking about him?

"Oh yeah… but I can't see his face," said Katie.

Great. Just great. I took off and left Han alone at my cousins house the night of the race. I didn't leave a note or even some kind of message for him with my cousin. I just left. I felt kind of bad afterwards but I just shrugged it off. I didn't really think about the fact that I might have to actually see him again.

"Don't worry!" grinned Bruce. "He's walking over here as we speak."

I really regret not going with Lex.

That red Dixie cup full of alcohol couldn't come any sooner.


	8. Get Some!

_**So… here we are again.**_

_**There have been a lot of people reading!**_

_**Yay!**_

_**Thank you!**_

_**Anyway, please review.**_

_**I would like to know if there is something I could improve.**_

_**Peace.**_

I tried really hard not to panic. Drunk people can smell it a mile away… well my friends can. Han was obviously taking his sweet time getting over here so I decided that if I was going to make another stupid move, I might as well drink and blame it on the alcohol.

I bit my lip. "Mel give me some of your jungle juice."

"What? No." She moved her cup closer to her chest and away from me. "My drink. Go get your own!"

I looked over and noticed that Han was just a couple of steps away. "You know what—"

"Tsk tsk," Han interrupted. "Underage kids with illegal substances! And I though you guys were the good kids."

Mel, Katie, Kellie, and Bruce laughed.

Mel raised her red cup and said "Welcome to the valley! Cheers!"

The rest of them raised their cups and toasted to the alcoholic teenagers in Central California.

We are horrible people.

I couldn't dare look up at Han.

I can't even have a moment's peace with my friends. Damnit, why is there always some new drama going on? Last time it was Lex and that girl Rosa that wanted to get in his pants and now it's this…. Wait, that has nothing to do with this. This is all my fault. I raced him and I should assume the consequences. I left him alone at my cousins house without an explanation and now I need to suck it up and own up to all of this.

All I need to do is raise my head and say 'Han, I need to talk to you' or 'Hey I'm sorry about what happened the other night'. Wait, no. The last one would give the wrong impression. I would be bombarded with texts and phone calls from Mel and Bruce demanding an explanation. Fortunate for me Katie and Kellie are too wasted to remember any of this… Either way, somehow my little midnight stroll with Han would be twisted into some kind of perverted night of passion...

Well more than it already is.

"Where is Lex with those drinks?" demanded Mel.

"Yeah," chimed in Bruce. "It's been a while. Maybe Rosa cornered him or something."

"You know what, I think I'll go find him!"

Ok, so maybe I'm not as brave as I thought I was.

I stood up and, before anyone could protest, took the long way around the pool which consisted of obstacles such as beautiful grass with turned on sprinklers, a small waterfall fountain (which was turned on by the way) and a narrow walkway to the other side which would lead me through the field of stoners until I would end up by the infamous screen door.

Oh joy.

"I could have just gone the short way which would force me acknowledge Han's presence but that would be _easy_," I muttered.

I can just feel the sarcasm oozing out of me like puss from an infected wound. Well, no one is forcing me to do anything. This is my choice after all; I just hate taking responsibility for it.

After my small adventure around the large perilous ocean, through the thick rainforest and across raging waterfall known as Mel's backyard, I made it to the other side with a wet pair of jeans. Not that it mattered much, since the weather outside wasn't exactly cold either. The eighty-degree weather would dry it in no time.

Before I could continue my epic journey I looked up and noticed I was cornered. How did Han get here so fast? I looked back and remembered how I had to carefully jump across the small rocks through Mel's working waterfall fountain and how Han only had to walk around the plain concrete. Lame.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

Suddenly I felt the gaze of everyone in the backyard piercing through me like I was some kind of criminal. Great, now I'm going to be the morning news for everyone at Redwood High School. 'This just in, Loser Victoria is in some sort of trouble with the new comer after their mysterious race just a couple of days ago. What could be happening in this schoolgirl's usually uneventful life? Stay tuned to find out!'

Yes, this town is that small and pathetic.

"I'm not avoiding you," I laughed reluctantly. "I'm just not worthy of your oh so great presence."

"Very funny kid. I need to ta—"

"Let's go inside," I interrupted.

I don't exactly like all of these people eavesdropping in our conversation. Everyone around us is acting like they're minding their own business but this is a small town and any sort of gossip is welcome as a source of entertainment or conversation starter. Reasons like this are why I can't wait until high school is over. There is way too much unnecessary drama.

"The music is too loud, we won't be able to hear each other."

" Exactly."

I didn't give him a chance to process what I just said. Quickly I grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the curious stoners and drunks. Unfortunately, before I could open the screen door I heard Katie yell, "Yeah, get some!" I heard a couple of cheers from the stoners and Han chuckle.

I would expect nothing less from my drunken friends.

I sighed, opened the screen door, and pushed my way inside the house. The living room was no longer considered the "official" dance floor. The whole house had turned into sin city with dancing that looked more like sex with massive amounts of alcohol. Is this what real college parties are like? I don't know whether to be excited or scared for my life.

Before I could push my way through the dance floor, Han tugged my hand. I looked over and he tilted his head to the living room. I shrugged and yelled, "What do you want?"

He pulled my closer to him and held me by my waist. I could feel my blood begin to course faster through my body and my heart begin to pound. Wow, he smells really good. "Let's dance," he yelled.

Suddenly I felt the blood pour into my face. Am I blushing?

I quickly shook my head no. "I don't dance! I have no rhythm!"

Han smiled and put his hand around his ear. He couldn't hear me, great.

I pointed at the door and pulled him down so he was my height. There was only a two or three-inch difference but I didn't feel like tippy-toeing. This is one of the few times I've actually felt like a girl with an average height. "Outside!" I yelled.

Before I could take the initiative, Han led me through the crowd of dancing college students with his arm still around my waist. I knew my face was still red from blushing. Thankfully no one could see me since it was pretty dark in here. Why am I still blushing? Well… maybe because I don't exactly get held by the waist very often or… maybe it's because I rarely ever get this close to a guy. Most likely it was because no one ever asks me if I want to dance (well except Lex… but he's Lex so it doesn't count). That's just a hypothesis; there could be many other reasons.

As Han led me through the dancing zombies, I saw Lex cornered by Rosa with two red cups in his hands. Rosa was chatting away happily while Lex was looking around the room looking for someone or some kind of exit. This girl has had a crush on Lex for the majority of senior year but Lex won't give her a chance and I'm not exactly sure why. I tried to ask him why once and he just replied, "She just not my style."

Bullshit.

I tried to look away and pretend like I didn't see him pleading for help but Lex spotted me. His face gleamed with mischief; somehow he didn't see Han next to me. Usually when a girl he didn't like was after him at a party, Lex would tell them that he's with me. Awkward, I know but what can I do? He's my friend and I'm not going to rat him out. That's just low. Since Rosa knows we are pretty good friends the excuses are different. Lex tells her that he's hanging out with me and doesn't want to ditch me.

Sometimes I feel really bad for going along with all of this.

Lex was about to wave but he realized he had two drinks in his hands. A reluctant smile went to his lips and he tried to negotiate his way out of his current situation. He tried to point at me again but accidentally managed to spill one of the cups all over the poor girl. Her face went to complete and utter shock. I could tell Lex was trying to hold back a howl of laughter.

Unfortunately, I was out the door and couldn't finish watching. What a shame. I really wanted to know how Lex was going to get out of this one without me. Well maybe it's time he learned how to do this on his own. After all he is going away to Berkley soon…

The air outside wasn't very refreshing. It was a bit musty and suffocating, almost like a room full of students with the air conditioner off. I hate valley weather. The heat here is so bad that people actually begin to sweat before they can even get out of the shower.

This heat makes me regret wearing this polyester kimono-like shirt. Don't get me wrong; it's a cute shirt. It highlights my cleavage in a decent way and it helps my boyish waist look a bit more like an hourglass. Everything about my body is tomboyish (thanks to my fathers side) except for my cleavage (thank god for my mother). Even though this shirt has all of these amazing features, it's not exactly keeping me cool.

Oh well, at least I look good.

Unfortunately, Mel's front yard was empty. It was a silent haven surrounded by pretty little emerald grass at my left hand and her impeccable driveway toward my right. The only thing that ruined the "romantic" ambient was the loud music coming out of the house.

Good.

This is not supposed to be romantic.

This is supposed to be awkward.

Awkward!

I looked down and noticed his arm was still around my waist even though we were safely outside. I almost leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder but I stopped myself. I'll admit, he makes my stomach butterflies flap around all over the place like they're on ecstasy but I don't like it. I don't like being nervous. I don't like to be vulnerable.

"You can let go of me now."

Han looked down and smiled, "Sorry about that." For some reason he still wouldn't let go. I had to pry his arm off and take half a step away from him.

"You're a regular Casanova, ya know that?"

He laughed, "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult,"

I shrugged, "Take it as you will. It's all the same to me."

"Alright then, why wouldn't you dance with me? Should I take that as an insult?"

I looked up at him and teased, "Why did I hurt your feelings or something?"

He snorted, "No. I'm just not used to getting rejected so much by the same girl."

I shrugged, "Don't take it personal, I just don't dance. I have no rhythm… and I don't reject everything you suggest. I did agree to race you after all."

"Hah, yeah. After I pretty much cornered you and forced you to agree."

I smiled, "Not really…"

"No, really…"

I sat down on the edge of the grass and looked up at Han, "Well I'm sorry. I promise to not disagree with everything you suggest."

"Well then I'll keep you to your word; let's go somewhere."

"Right now?"

Han grinned, "Yeah right now."

I grimaced and took out my cell phone to check the time. It was ten p.m. "I don't know… I feel kind of bad for ditching Mel's party."

"Tsk tsk. Are you going to break your promise already?"

I didn't respond. Somehow I feel like I might end up doing something really stupid… again. For some reason my feelings seem to cloud my judgment while I'm around Han. That's not exactly a good thing.

"Come on kid," he crouched down in order to look me in the eye. "I promise I'll have you back before they can even notice you're gone."

I glanced back at Mel's house then at Han. He smiled and offered me his hand. Why do I have the feeling that I'm going to somehow end up making out with Han in the backseat of his car? Great, now I'm the stereotypical good girl gone bad.

I grimaced and put my hand in his. "Alright. Let's go…"

He grinned and helped me stand up off of the grass. "Fuck it, thug life?"

I laughed, "How do you know about thug life."

"Well first off, I think everyone knows who Tupac is…"

"Even you?" I teased.

Han didn't let go of my hand; instead he intertwined his fingers with mine and began to pull me away from Mel's house. I didn't resist. "So now, along with insane, you think I'm ignorant?"

"Insane, yes. Ignorant, no…. it's just really hard to find someone who enjoys and appreciates the classics."

We didn't have to walk far in order to find his Camaro; it was right in front of Mel's house. Like the "gentleman" he is, he opened the passenger door for me. "What, so now you think I'm helpless?" I mimicked.

Han mischievously smiled, "Oh no, not helpless just clueless."

I rolled my eyes and got inside the car. "Ha. Ha. You made a funny."

He laughed, "You crack me up kid," and shut the door.

The inside of the Camaro was surprisingly neat. Unlike Lex's Mustang, there weren't any random fast food wrappers, crumbled up paper, or books lying around. The interior looked like it was remodeled. The leather seats and the carpet looked and smelled new.

I'm jealous.

Han got inside and said, "I can see you now know what you missed out."

I shot him a glare. "I've been getting shit about it from my friends for the past couple of days. If I would have known you were going to do the same then I would've never agreed to come with you."

There was a short awkward silence.

"Look, I didn't mean it that way…"

I looked away and crossed across my stomach. "I know, I'm just jealous and sick of people talking so much shit and…"

I noticed the people that were at the race were arriving. Instead of going inside, most of them just stood there and continued to stare as if we were some kind of reality t.v. show. They were just waiting for something "juicy" to happen so they could be the first to spread the word.

Times like these remind me why I hate this town so much.

I put on my seatbelt and said, "We should probably go talk somewhere else."

I looked over at Han and noticed he looked a bit confused. "I thought…"

"Just look to your right," I interrupted.

Han looked over and chuckled, "Looks like we've got an audience…" He took the keys out of his front pocket and brought his Camaro to life.

"Where are we going anyway?"

He quickly pulled out of his parking spot and said, "Don't worry about it kid. Just sit tight and look pretty."

I snorted, "If you wanted that then you should have asked one of those brainless daisy-duke wearing whores to come with you instead."

Han ruffled my hair with his left hand and laughed, "You have a great sense of humor kid."

Why did I agree to this again?


End file.
